Travel Apps
It is amazing to think how far the world has come in terms of technology. Before the internet you would have to phone the airline 24 hours before your flight to confirm your booking. When I flew to Australia in 1991 I did just that. And when I got to the airport I was told there was no seat for me! Then came online check in and you could simply go onto the internet and check yourself onto the flight. This still does not guarantee that the flight won’t be overbooked. Now we can make use of travel apps. Airlines have an App through which you can book your flight, check in, do an upgrade and get your boarding pass in electronic format. No more paper tickets with a page for each leg of your flight. No more paper boarding passes that get torn and discarded.
The Travel Apps I use
When we travel to Europe we tend to fly Air France. Air France and KLM are sister companies and I have both apps loaded as they work differently. When checking in I use the Air France app which immediately offers us the upgrade option. I make use of booking.com for most of our accommodation bookings. The App works fantastically well and I find it easy to navigate. We have only once had an issue with a booking not showing correctly at an hotel but that did not turn out to be a problem. Volotea Airlines App is one of the best I have used and even though the airline is based in Spain, it is the one we have used for internal flights in Europe. They are cheap and efficient which is all you need for short haul flights.
Google Travel Apps
I love the offline feature on Google Maps and highly recommend you download the cities you are going to visit overseas. They function without data and use your phones inbuilt GPS to detect where you are. You can search for places but you cannot get directions. Even though I can speak a fair bit of Italian and get by in French I have downloaded Google Translate with the languages available offline. It really helps for words I have not come across before, or to explain myself better.
Travel Apps I have loaded
When we travel to England we fly either SAA or British Airways. This year will be the first time I make use of either of the Apps. The SAA App is not in league with any of the other airlines Apps I have loaded. Hopefully the check in procedure runs smoothly. The British Airways App looks good, but that too has to be put to the test. I have the Europcar App loaded and have tried to use it but it really is not good. I find their website easier to navigate and I print out the confirmation as this is needed when you collect your car. As we are travelling to Heathrow I have downloaded the airport App. I have a Heathrow rewards card which I will try to make use of when we are at the airport.
Travel Apps for the sake of having them
SeatGuru is another App I have installed as it is the easiest way to see which is the best seat on a specific plane. I do not use it that often as Dave and I know which seat we prefer on which flight, but it is useful for a plane we have not taken before. I have yet to make use of Uber but have the App installed for ‘in case’. Who knows, one day I might find it useful. XE Currency App is fairly useful if you want to convert your hard-earned Rands into Pounds or Euros. Not something we ever do while travelling though.
Apps for France and Italy
Given the terror attacks in France, the Government launched an App called SAIP. This uses your location to determine if you are near any disaster. If you are close, the App will tell you what has happened and what action to take. I also use the TER Mobile App for the trains in France. It is brilliant, giving you information about the station you are at, the train you need to catch and the time it will arrive and the stops it makes along the way. WiFi is free at the major stations. I have the Trenitalia App loaded as it provides the information you will need for all the trains in Italy.
Travel Apps and do you use them?
Is there a travel app that you use I have not listed? Please let me know in the comments below. I am interested to know if I am missing something that is either useful or fun.
Inspiration published on Lavender and Lime July 19:
- 2013 – Savory
- 2012 – Venison Pie With A Buttermilk Pastry Topping
- 2011 – Calamari Risotto
- 2010 – Gurnards With Scallops
Allllllllllll about the travel apps, not a fan of printing out tickets etc, and makes sense to do everything via my phone as my phone is always with me. Your recommendations are awesome, thanks.
My pleasure Anna 🙂
We use Uber a lot when overseas It saves on any sort of language confusion as you put in the destination into the phone. Also in some cities there is Uber pool which is a really inexpensive way to get around.
That is a good to know Lorraine, thanks for sharing 🙂
This is a great resource for anyone who travels often! It’s so funny how much travel has changed over the last 10 years due to these apps!
It has made everything so much simpler 🙂
I live to get appas for where I am going for sure. I plan on doing a youtube videos of the apps I used in China. I think they are great for countries with very foreing languages.
Hope you do an ordinary post on them as well Evelyne 🙂
Wow, Tandy, you are very well prepared for travelling. I haven’t used this kind of app before although we do book on-line and use electronic tickets. I must look and see if there any apps for the UK.
Where in the UK are you going? And when? I will let you know if I find any more useful apps.
Our “home base” will be Faversham in Kent. We are staying in the home of my cousin.
I have never been there before. I hope you have a super time. When are you going?
Thanks! I just added a couple more for our pending Canada road trip!
Please let me know your top App, and enjoy your trip 🙂
My Peter uses a translator app when we’re in Hungary. I tend to use currency convertors and maps. : )
The translator app is so helpful.
Travel apps are amazing – I use the British Airways app a lot and google translate came in pretty handy at times and I could not imagine travelling or getting around without my Uber app (great service!). Have a lovley weekend, Tandy!
Hope you have a great weekend as well 🙂
I don’t use travel apps, but maybe I should look into them!
I love learning about new ones and trying them out 🙂
What a great post to make traveling easier, did not know these apps existed, thanks Tandy!
My pleasure Cheri 🙂
I have apps for as much as I can when travelling or any other time actually. Not really a specific travel app, but I live on TripAdvisor for everything!
I so seldom use Trip Advisor. I am trying to make better use of reading people’s reviews though, so should use it more often.